Gaiters that is. In all the time I've been hiking with trail junk filling my shoes, I've never tried out a pair of gaiters. Then I found Dirty Girl!
Dirty Girl Gaiters are about as simple as you can get, which makes them perfect for UltraLight Backpacking. The website, www.dirtygirlgaiters.com is quite amusing, and they have lots of different patterns and colors to choose from. In fact, at first it appeared to me that they didn't even offer plain black gaiters, but I picked up a pair of "i do not make black gaiters" color in a men's 12.5-13 for $17 US including shipping. I've been using them for the past couple of weekends now and had no idea what I was missing!
They attach in the back with a small piece of velcro that you cut and stick to the back of your shoe.
The front attaches with a small metal hook that goes under the front of your laces. This simple attachment works very well. You put on your socks, slide the gaiters on over them, and put your shoes on like normal. Slide the gaiters down and hook them in the front, then attach the back to the velcro and that's it.
These simple spandex gaiters do an amazing job of keeping dirt and rocks out of your shoes, and your feet stay nice and clean. They breathe well and the pair weighs just 1.45oz for my enormous size. If you want to keep your feet happy, do what the Dirty Girls do and pick up a pair of these!
What makes Montbell's new Trail Ridge Convertible Pants worth a second look? Montbell Quality
I'm a fan of Montbell clothing, and my U.L. Down Inner Parka is nothing short of amazing at just 9.3 ounces (men's XL). I find their quality to be top notch, and these pants appear to be no exception.
2-Way Stretch
This is what makes these pants unique. I've yet to find another manufacturer that offers lightweight men's convertible trekking pants with stretch fabric (these are 92% nylon/8% polyurethane DWR treated). I have some old REI pants that stretch, but they are heavy and hot...only to be used for the coldest weather. These lightweight pants have the right amount of give for the crazy positions we get our bodies into, and yet they are still as light as a pair of Columbia Silver Ridge II pants (both are about 14.8 ounces for a men's XL).
Zip-Off Legs
While some people only hike in shorts, I appreciate having pant legs when blazing through an overgrown section of trail. And of course it's a nice relief to zip the legs off when you are over heating. With an 11 1/2 inch inseam, you don't end up looking like you're wearing Richard Simmons style short-shorts either :-) Rather than having zippers at the bottoms of the legs to make it possible to remove them with your shoes on, these legs are just not tapered so they are quite wide at the bottom. I'm not so sure this will be widely accepted, but it's a lighter alternative than more zippers.
Integrated Belt
Most hiking pants are included with a belt, but I have to say this is about the nicest one I've seen. The buckle has a solid closure that won't come undone or loosen like others I have owned (Columbia), and the webbing is super thin (i.e. lightweight).
Zippered Pockets
Zippers just add weight right? Yes it's true, but they also add utility, and in my UltraLight opinion you need the right balance. The 2 hand pockets and 1 each back and thigh pockets are about right for me. The pockets themselves are mesh, providing some added ventilation if you leave them unzipped. I like to carry certain things in my pockets so they are very accessible (1/4 of a pack towel, lip balm, mint soap, knife...), and the zippers give me that extra bit of security for these important items.
Fit
Montbell clothing tends to have an "athletic" cut, something I don't appreciate because I don't have the lean build of a runner. I went ahead and ordered these any way thinking they would be OK because of the stretch. To my pleasant surprise I found that they are not tight like a pair of 70's disco pants...hoot hoot! The waist sits low, and they don't feel like they are binding anywhere. The length is on the long side for this 6'2" hiker, and I will probably hem them to take about an inch out of the length.
Bottom line is I really like these pants, and I fully expect them to last a long time. Montbell is living up to its good reputation!
I've been wanting to check out the barefoot hiking experience with a pair of Vibram FiveFingers shoes for some time now, but I don't tend to like the feeling of a strap across the top of my foot, so I have never parted with a hundred bucks to check them out. A combination of my REI dividend burning a hole in my pocket, and the introduction of Vibram's new lace up Bikila LS Running Shoes was all it took for me to finally take the plunge. My Men's size 45 weigh just 13.4 ounces for the pair, less than half of what my trail runners weigh...a huge benefit for a gram counter like me!
They recommend you don't over do it when you first start wearing FiveFingers because the muscles you use in these are different than in "normal" shoes. Heeding their warning, Juggy and I went on a little 6-7 mile hike the day after I bought them. The unique experience of walking through trails "barefoot" was pretty cool, and afterwards my feet felt fine. The next weekend I decided to walk a little farther, and took one of my favorite routes through Red Rock from my It's Just Walking post a while back. I figured that this would be a good test because it consists of walking on a rocky trail, 9 1/2 miles out then back. If my feet were starting to feel sore, I could simply turn around and cut it short.
When you first slide your feet into them, the shoes feel a bit weird, but that's because you're used to having your feet jammed inside "normal" shoes all your life. Once you start walking they feel very natural, and you end up walking quite differently...softly is the best way I can describe it, like when walking barefoot. They leave some very cool foot prints too!
These shoes are very much at home in water, and you might find yourself walking right through stream crossings rather than hopping across the tops of boulders.
The dirt that collects on the wet shoes is not bothersome and falls off in short order.
One thing about these shoes is that you feel everything, which is both good and bad. The good part is that you feel much more stable in technical sections because the soft soles help your feet mold to the terrain. The not so good part is that the thin soles are subject to letting thorns and such through easier than with running shoes.
At the 8 1/2 mile point, my feet were starting to get sore, so I decided to turn around. Part of the soreness was from hitting a rock quite hard with my little toe about 4 miles into the hike. I didn't think much of it at the time, as I knew it wasn't broken, but it did bother me the entire way. As I passed the 12 mile mark of my 17 mile day, the bottoms of my feet were getting more and more sensitive. I walked slowly and softly, and took several breaks, especially at stream crossings to soak my sore feet. The last couple of hours were rough, and with each step the pain increased. I took my time and eventually made it back to the trailhead, but I definitely stopped having fun towards the end. Removing my shoes once I got home, my toe looked worse than I thought it would. This photo is from the next day, when I woke up with it swollen and brightly colored reminiscent of Red Rock.
The photo below shows a hole in the little toe pocket, and the rubber starting to separate on the big toe. I was disappointed to see product failures like this so quickly.
So I am planning to return my goofy looking new shoes. If they had lasted longer, I probably would have kept them for lighter hiking, water activities, etc. I'm not sure why they wore out so fast...maybe I'm just too hard on my footwear, but my Foot Pillows sure didn't wear out like these did! It's too bad, because I got some great reactions wearing these...from conversation starters, to little giggles, "ewww", and my favorite comment from a buddy "You know how I can tell you're gay? Look down."
To be fair to Vibram, these are street running shoes, not trail running, but I have successfully used regular running shoes on trails many times. I strongly suggest you do not use these for trails if you are clumsy like me and kick rocks or step on cactus off fall. With a swollen foot and burning calves, my body is not very happy with me right now. Luckily my injuries are minor, and I should be back to hiking next weekend. In my trail runners!
I must confess two things...the first is that I wear hideous shoes, and second I named them foot pillows!
So here is how a came to be the owner of these most unattractive shoes. I had never been truly happy with my backpacking footwear, and going to the big box outfitters left me wanting. It finally occurred to me that I needed some professional help (no not that kind!), so I headed to my local running store. They were knowledgeable, patient, and had a huge selection. I probably tried on more than 10 different styles! After the sales girl laced up each pair, she then had me go outside and run around the parking lot a bit, which was very helpful. By process of elimination, I ended up with these Mizuno Wave® Cabrakan™ trail runners, the most comfortable and least attractive shoes they had to offer.
I just received this in the mail the other day...an UltraLight, ultra-affordable rain suit. Purchased at the Mountain UltraLight Store, it cost me a whopping $20.46 USD including shipping. You're probably wondering how good this can be for so little money...
UltraLight In size Large, the jacket weighs 6.05oz, and the pants weigh 4.50oz. Do you know of any other rain suit that comes close to that weight?
Breathable Made from microporous polypropylene, this suit is by far the most breathable I have ever used. This is a huge plus when using the rain jacket as a wind shirt, which I would compare it to for breathability.
Simple The pocket free design keeps things simple and lightweight. The pants and bottom of the jacket also lack a draw cord, which I typically remove any way.
Durable This is where this product is really lacking. If you are going to be bushwhacking, this is not the rain suit for you. It's also why this is not a product review, but a first look. Time will tell how long it will last.
Fit I usually wear a size XL, but I got this in a Large and it fits me perfectly. They have supposedly made this to fit over insulation layers, but they have gone over board in my opinion. Buy it a size smaller than normal and it should fit you fine.
I know, I know...I'm always talking about making my gear more durable without adding any weight, so why would I consider using something that looks like it won't last a few weeks let alone a thru-hike? First and foremost, the breathability is outstanding. Second, the weight is also a big advantage. So what if I'm on a 2 week trek and get a hole? Duct tape sticks very well and would repair a small hole just fine.
In case you haven't heard of them, ZPacks is a small cottage manufacturer of innovative ultralight backpacking gear including backpacks, and most recently tents. Joe Valesko and his wife Sheryl run the operation and make every piece of gear themselves. They are one of the few outfits making gear out of cuben fiber, which is a fabric that was originally designed for making sails for racing sailboats. It is very lightweight, completely waterproof, and doesn't stretch like silnylon does. The fabric is much more expensive than typical tent materials such as silnylon and requires some different manufacturing techniques, which may be why the larger manufacturers haven't started using it yet. By the way "Samurai Joe" is an accomplished triple crown backpacker, having thru-hiked the AT, PCT, and the CDT. After completing the CDT in 2009 using the solo version of this tent, he started offering them in addition to his backpack lineup in early 2010. Not long after, he introduced the 2 person model, the ZPacks™ Hexamid Twin Tent, a 10.5oz fully enclosed tent (mine actually weighs 10.6 oz...I may have used too much seam sealer. This includes tent, stuff sack, guy lines, and seam sealing).
I have been looking for something to replace my 1oz cotton bandanna for some time now. My goal has been to find a synthetic towel that is about the same weight, is more absorbent, and dries quicker. I've tried Lightload towels, but have found them to be way too fragile (somewhat like a paper shop towel). Other synthetic towels I have tried were much heavier, so I've stuck with my trusty old cotton bandanna. This one made by MSR is just what I was looking for...
In part 1 of this article I talked about an idea I had to reduce the weight of my freezer bag cooking (FBC) cozy. I basically made an envelope out of an emergency blanket thinking that the reflective material would hold the heat inside the cozy while the meal "cooked". In addition, I would place the cozy inside the cuben fiber stuff sack (which I already carry to contain my cook pot) with the thought that this would add additional insulation to hold the heat in similar to how a wind shirt holds your body heat in. This is the point where I test my theory...
Pictured below from left to right are the trailcooking.com FBC Minimalist Cozy, the traildesigns.com Caldera Keg-H Cozy, and my SUL Cozy prototype. I decided to put these through a series of tests to compare my unit to others I have used.
I just received this ultralight fire starting kit in the mail yesterday. It's always fun to try out new ways to lighten your load, and this mini "Swedish Match" promises to save quite a bit of weight with little or no loss of function.
The Backpacking Light Firelite Mini Firestarting Kit consists of;
1 - Firesteel Mini "Swedish Match" style firestarting tool with steel striker tethered by a short cord
10 - Tinder-Quik firestarting tabs
1 - 5" x 4" Aloksak waterproof bag
Last weekend our first winter storm of the season was blowing in, so of course I headed for the mountains to experience it!
Here is a shot of my Ti-Tri Keg-H in a cave at about 9600 foot elevation and 33 degrees Fahrenheit. Snow was falling, and the water in my Gatorade bottle was starting to freeze. I wanted to have some Chamomile tea to warm me up a bit, so I lit an Esbit cube in my Gram Cracker and set my new stove on top of it (with MYOG door in place). While I waited, I enjoyed the sights and sounds of the wind blowing through the trees from the relative calm of my natural shelter.
The guys at Trail Designs have built a great reputation for themselves by providing innovative products and excellent customer service. Their Caldera Cone system was a revolution in UL wind screen/pot holder design, and since my first purchase (for my MSR Titan kettle), I've been a fan.
Building on a great idea, they created the Ti-Tri, a titanium version of the Caldera Cone which is capable of using three types of fuel (alcohol, esbit, or wood). A while back I purchased one of these Ti-Tri systems from their partners at Titanium Goat, along with an 1100ml pot and lid combo. With a total weight of 7.55oz for the cone/floor/pot/lid combo, this quickly became my favorite stove system. Not only was it light and large enough for two people, in wood burning mode it boiled 2 cups of water in an incredible 5 min 15 sec...and I no longer had to carry fuel!
I recently learned that they have been working with a prototype of an inverted downdraft gasifier version of the Ti-Tri, which is the same double walled technology used in the popular Bush Buddy stove. While I do not own a BB, I have experimented with many different MYOG BB designs, and this TD version peaked my interest. I contacted Rand via email, and within one day he and Russ had made the Inferno insert and had it in the mail to me so I could use/test it on a trip I had planned to Charleston Peak, high above Las Vegas (approx 10,500' where I camped) that weekend.
The workmanship of this piece is excellent, as I have come to expect of any Trail Designs product. Here are some photos from my trip:
Inferno insert ready to be lit
Inferno with outer cone & ti stakes in place
The fire is ready for the pot in approx 1 min
2 cups water boiling in just over 5 min!
Ti-Tri Inferno in camp fire mode...I loaded this thing up to the top with wood and pine cones, and it never smoked!
What's left after about an hour of burn time
Weights:
Ti-Tri Caldera Cone = 1.75oz
Ti floor = .60oz
Inferno insert = 1.25oz
Total stove = 3.60oz
Note: I didn't count the ti stakes because I use two from my tarp set up.
Comparing the Ti-Tri to the Ti-Tri Inferno:
Both systems boiled 2 cups of water in approximately the same time - 5min, 15 sec. Is the additional 1.25oz of the Inferno worth its weight?
Advantages
Easier to light
Less smoke
Re-lights easier if the flame goes out
Burns wood fuel down to ashes
Disadvantages
Somewhat complicated assembly - many parts to deal with
You will inevitably get soot on your hands while disassembling it
The bottom line is, both the Ti-Tri and the Ti-Tri Inferno work well, but the Inferno model just works better in wood burning mode. If you want a wood burning stove that's easier to light and requires less tending to, and want a cleaner burn (i.e. less smoke in your face), then the Ti-Tri Inferno may be the right stove for you. .
Trail Designs has made a great system even better. Because the Inferno enhanced my back country experience, to me as least, the additional 1.25oz is worth its weight if I don't plan to carry fuel and am cooking for two people. That's why I gave it a rating of 4.5 our of 5.
(Previously published on www.backpackinglight.com 8/2009).
